ENGLISH
REFERENCE

BCE

adv. time
C1 Advanced bce

adv. Stands for Before Common Era. A way to count years before the year 1. Used instead of BC in history and science.

adv. Abbreviation for Before Common Era. Designating the era before the year 1 in the Gregorian calendar. Used as a secular alternative to BC (Before Christ), typically following the year number.


SIMPLE

The Great Pyramid was built around 2560 BCE.

CONTEXTUAL

Historians often use BCE to maintain a neutral tone when discussing ancient civilizations that were not Christian.

COMPLEX

While the transition from BC to BCE has become standard in academic publishing, the numerical values remain identical, ensuring that chronological data remains consistent across different naming conventions.

Usage

Typically placed immediately after the year number; often written in small capitals in formal typesetting.

Pitfall

In the BCE 500In 500 BCEBCE must follow the year number, whereas 'In the' is unnecessary when providing a specific date.

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